United Methodist ruling defrocks lesbian

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The nation's highest United Methodist court voted yesterday to defrock a lesbian pastor, saying the church's commitment to equality does not extend to allowing active homosexuals to serve as clergy.

The church's Judicial Council, which heard the case involving the Rev. Irene "Beth" Stroud on Friday in Houston and announced its decision yesterday, is the final ruling on a matter that began in March 2003, when Miss Stroud informed her bishop that she is a practicing lesbian.

"No provision of the [Methodist Book of] Discipline bars a person with a same-sex orientation from the ordained ministry of the United Methodist Church," the Judicial Council said.

"Rather, Paragraph 304.3 is directed towards those persons who practice that same-sex orientation by engaging in prohibited sexual activity," the council wrote, referring to a section of church law that states "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."

In a related ruling, the Judicial Council voted to overturn the July suspension of the Rev. Ed. Johnson, a pastor who refused to admit a homosexual man into membership of South Hill United Methodist Church near Petersburg, Va.

Virginia Bishop Charlene Kammerer suspended Mr. Johnson for his actions July 1 without pay.

The council ruled pastors can reject persons from church membership, even though the church constitution says membership is open to all.

"A pastor in charge cannot be ordered by the district superintendent or bishop to admit into membership a person deemed not ready or able to meet the requirements of the vows of church membership," the ruling said.

Other mainline denominations have taken a more liberal tack. The United Church of Christ has long welcomed homosexual clerics, the Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly homosexual bishop in November 2003, and the Presbyterian Church USA is delaying until 2006 a final decision on homosexual ordination.

The United Methodist Church's new advertising campaign -- "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" -- was seen as a signal toward accepting homosexuals into the 8.2-million-member denomination.